Marvel was everywhere in 2014, thanks to the successes of Captain America 2, Guardians of the Galaxy and the studio’s exciting announcement of its Phase Three film slate. Heck, even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to find its footing. Yet somehow, despite all that, Marvel has failed to produce a single female-fronted project… until now.

When Agent Carter premieres Tuesday on ABC (8/7c), Hayley Atwell will become the first woman to headline a Marvel film or TV series solo and the importance of this isn’t lost on the star. “I can’t even fathom it, really, in terms of the impact it may have,” Atwell tells TVGuide.com. “In Peggy you have someone who is just as capable as the men, so she doesn’t just rely on her physicality. She relies on her brain and her talents and her skills. And I think that’s just a really positive thing that Marvel has done. It’s making girls realize that they can be more than just the pretty girl or the ingénue or the bitch or the mother-in-law. They are fully rounded human beings capable just as much as the men at kicking butt.”

Hayley Atwell was born in 1982. But looking at her on a recent December afternoon on the set of ABC’s new series Marvel’s Agent Carter, you’d swear she walked straight to work from the 1940s. Her hair is in pin curls. Her outfit is an elegant vintage pantsuit. She practically radiates femininity. And then, in the midst of a thoughtful sentence about her new job, she lets out a loud, hearty burp.

“Get that down!” she says, grinning and pointing to a reporter’s notebook. “I love it because I look so glamorous and ladylike. The truth is out!” Let the world know: Hayley Atwell is no delicate flower. And neither is the character she’s about to introduce to TV. One of Marvel’s classiest butt-kicking bombshells, Agent Peggy Carter made her cinematic debut in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger as an officer with the SSR, the top secret government agency, tasked with turning Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) into a shield-wielding hero. Her popularity led to a short released on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray, which became the basis for the series, debuting Jan. 6. But this isn’t just another random satellite in the Marvelverse, which has been launching projects across all platforms, from film and TV to Netflix. Carter is both the studio’s latest attempt at conquering TV and its first female-fronted project. That makes it a big swing for Marvel after the middling success of ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Then there’s the fact that Carter is the first Marvel property run by women—longtime writing partners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (Resurrection)—which is a little ironic for a story that takes place in an era when women with power were all but nonexistent. Both behind and in front of the camera, Agent Carter is changing the rules of the superhero game. “It’s absolutely vital that we’re saying to Hollywood—and to the world—female-centered roles are important,” Atwell says. “They are watched. They are bankable. The audiences want them.”

World War II is over, but superspy Peggy Carter is still fighting the good fight — and she’s looking pretty damn good while doing it. ABC’s lushly produced, seven-episode action-adventure series Marvel’s Agent Carter, set in 1946, will be bringing some old-style Hollywood glamour to primetime. Leading lady Hayley Atwell wholeheartedly approves.

“This series is such a film-noir feast for the eyes that I come to work an hour early just to watch,” says the British actress, who first played Carter in the 2011 movie blockbuster Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger. “Despite all the chaos of the war years, people had great style — the guys so elegant and gentlemanlike, the women so beautiful and well turned out with their cinched waists, pencil skirts, pin curls, and red lips. To act in this time period is absolute heaven.”

Peggy, however, is in her own kind of hell. She had been a fierce and brilliant secret agent for the Allies’ Strategic Scientific Reserve during the war — in fact, she will one day be integral to the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D. and serve as its first cohead. But with the Nazis defeated, she’s been demoted to an SSR desk job. “Peggy is making coffee for the men and taking their lunch orders,” says Atwell. “She’s feeling incredibly wasted, disrespected, and frustrated.”

Captain America lives on in Marvel’s Agent Carter, which is set some time after his (presumably) fatal arctic plunge — and all Peggy Carter can do is shrug.

In the second half of the ABC series’ two-hour premiere (airing Tuesday at 8/7c), SSR Agent Carter (played by Hayley Atwell) catches a listen of “The Captain America Adventure Program,” a live radio play populated by breathy heroines and a Hitler-pummeling hero. But the artifice, as patriotic as it is, leaves her unimpressed and visibly missing the real man she and the Howling Commandos once fought alongside.

Now, with the men home from World War II, Peggy’s biggest fight is with those who marginalize her potential and contributions at the SSR. (Spoiler alert: It’s a battle she is sure to win.)

With a pair of movies, a Marvel One-Shot DVD featurette, some Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cameos and Agent Carter‘s eight-hour run now under her belt, Atwell tells TVLine that what most delights her about Peggy “is that she doesn’t sacrifice her integrity, her morals or her femininity when she’s up against tremendous personal and external obstacles.” As seen in Captain America: The First Avenger, “She is a fighter and a survivor, but she doesn’t have any superpowers,” her portrayer notes. “She has to rely on her wits and intelligence and determination to navigate what comes her way.”

Agent Carter is featured in the TV Guide January 5th to January 18th issue. Thanks to my friend Mouza we were able to add scans to the gallery. Be sure to pick up your own copy of the issue out on newsstands now!

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Welcome

Celebrating 4 years online, Hayley Atwell Online is your best, most up to date, and comprehensive source for Hayley Atwell.

Hayley is perhaps best known as Peggy Carter in Agent Carter and the Captain America film series, but has also been in other projects such as Pillars of the Earth, Brideshead Revisited, and Any Human Heart, to name a few.

Our aim is to provide you with the latest news, photos, interviews, and much more! Thank you for visiting!

Current Projects

Christopher Robin (2018)
Hayley as Evelyn.Filming
Working-class family man Christopher Robin encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life. A live-action version of the classic Winnie the Pooh stories.IMDB / Images / Official Site

Dry Powder (2018)
Hayley as JennyRuns from January 26th-March 3rd
In the same week his private equity firm forced massive layoffs at a supermarket chain, Rick threw himself a lavish engagement party – which even featured an elephant – setting off a publicity nightmare. However all’s not lost when you’re the titan of high finance – there’s still an abundance of cash in reserve and Seth, one of Rick’s partners, spots an opportunity to salvage the company’s reputation with an investment that’s both sound and PR-friendly. But Jenny, the third partner, and Seth’s nemesis, has other ideas: she’s not in business to make friends. If there’s money to be made, she’ll do whatever it takes to generate the maximum return, irrespective of what the critics might say…Official Site / Images / Dates & Time / Ticket Information

Howards End (2017)
Hayley as Margaret SchlegelPremieres November 12 on BBC1 in UKPremieres Spring 2018 on Starz in USA
The social and class divisions in early 20th century England through the intersection of three families – the wealthy Wilcoxes, the gentle and idealistic Schlegels and the lower-middle class Basts.IMDB / Images / Official Site

Conviction (2016-2017)
Hayley as Hayes MorrisonSeason 1 aired; cancelled
A brilliant young attorney, who is also the daughter of a former U.S. president, is blackmailed to head up LA’s new Conviction Integrity Unit. She and her team investigate cases where people may have been wrongly convicted.IMDB / Images / Official Site

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Hayley Atwell Online is a non-profit website made by fans for fans. We have no affiliation with Hayley Atwell herself or anyone representing her in any way. All content is copyrighted to the original owners. Hotlinking is forbidden. If you have any complaints or questions please contact Fan St. before taking action. See also: DMCA.

Hayley Atwell Online is a non-profit website made by fans for fans. We have no affiliation with Hayley Atwell herself or anyone representing her in any way. All content is copyrighted to the original owners. Hotlinking is forbidden. If you have any complaints or questions please contact Fan St. before taking action.